Jonathan Goldsmith, Dos Equis' Most Interesting Man, Blasts Off

Jonathan Goldsmith, Dos Equis's "Most Interesting Man in the World," and its spokesman for the past nine years, is retiring by blasting off into space in his last ad.

Goldsmith, 77, is being given an unworldly send off, ending a run of what Ad Age called "one of the best ad campaigns of the 21st century." The 60-second commercial that will start airing Thursday shows Goldsmith's character going on a one-way mission to Mars, wrote US Weekly.

"From superheroes to superspies, our fans are accustomed to and enjoy different takes on the same character," said Andrew Katz, Dos Equis' vice president of marketing.

"We know 'The Most Interesting Man in the World' will continue to endure and grow, as the character's story is bigger than one individual. Stay Thirsty isn't just a tagline — it's a mind-set Dos Equis embraces daily to connect with our consumer and inspire everything we do."

The commercial appeared on YouTube on Wednesday has been viewed by 444,000 times.

In real life, the Earth-bound Goldsmith will be finishing up a book, tentatively titled "Before I Was Interesting," said USA Today. He said he's writing the book to reveal his life in Hollywood and as a success guide.

"I put all of myself into this character," Goldsmith said. "What you see on screen was all there long before this role was created — the beard, the mischief, the tan. I have a tremendous lust for life that hopefully comes across in my portrayal of The Most Interesting Man."

A new actor will take on the Dos Equis spokesman role in the fall, officials from parent company Heineken USA told Ad Age. While Heineken officials said they plan to "contemporize" the campaign, they declined to reveal the new actor or plotline.

"There will be a hand-off of sorts – one day it won't just be somebody new," Katz told Ad Age. "(The campaign) will feel familiar, but it will be different. There will be elements that are very, very recognizable, that are super iconic to us, but it will have a very fresh take on things. It will not feel like we've just swapped actors."
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